Shcherbatyuk Alexander Fyodorovich

Shcherbatyuk Alexander Fyodorovich

Biography

2020: Criminal arrest about creation of the underwater robot

In November, 2020 the Investigation department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation across Primorsky Krai announced criminal proceedings concerning the director of the Institute of Problems of Sea Technologies (IPST) of the Far East department of RAS Alexander Shcherbatyuk. He is suspected of abuse of authority during creation of the submersible.

According to the investigators, the scientist in 2016-2018 signed the contract with the foreign company for production of the independent submersible for the amount more than 17.5 million rubles though knew that there is neither material security, nor staff for its production.

Also, as investigators believe, the suspect understood that "actually works will be performed at the expense of especially valuable real estate and property which is on operational management of institute" and the employees.

Continuing the felonious intent to increase the welfare, he signed the agreement of subcontract works for the amount six million rubles. And in several months increased its cost by 10 million rubles — added in department.

The ICR also found out that the director of institute signed several agreements in a row with workers of institute in total more than for 2.5 million rubles.

Alexander Shcherbatyuk is arrested and placed in the pre-trial detention center. On November 27, 2020 the Court of Appeal of Primorsky Krai remanded the scientist in custody, having refused grievance settlement of the director of Institute of problems of sea technologies.

Shcherbatyuk was spoken out in defense by the co-owner of DNS Dmitry Alekseev who is familiar with the defendant according to joint projects in robotics.

I for 100% am confident in Alexander Fedorovich's honesty because I am familiar with him, I know, how hard it is necessary scientists as far as he is devoted to robotics. Well and besides, this MIP (the small innovation enterprise — a comment) created IPMT together with DNS because I as can I try to help seaside school of robotics and precisely I know that there are no mercenary motives, except survival of IPMT — Alekseev wrote.

Alekseev created on the change.org portal the petition with the requirement to cancel Alexander Shcherbatyuk's arrest. In it it is said that IMPT constructed for the Chinese university of the underwater robot, previously having got all necessary permissions, including FSB.

However the investigator counted receiving from Chinese of money - the half-received profit for Institute of RAS. Allegedly money entered not the Institute, and The Innovation Enterprise of Sea Technologies LLC, one of founders of which is the Institute. At the same time, the investigation does not consider the developed Russian practice of work of RAS when "risky" projects (i.e. projects on which it is possible not to execute in time set by the agreement the obligations) can entail contractual fines from the customer. For what similar Ltd companies in which scientists are employed are created — the entrepreneur said.

According to him, the scientist was put in the pre-trial detention center to intimidate, break and "receive confession in any crimes".^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

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